Rants on Cycling and on Life:
Photos of people and bicycles that pass in front of my camera

7.18.2007

my bad... sorry I slammed you into the fence

my badsorry to the guy I slammed into the fenceand other guy... sorry that I slammed my handlebar into your butt on a tight pass

okay... everyone else that I crashed into, bumped, cut off, or passed in an awkward or aggressive fashionsorryI just was not feeling it todaybut I tried

my head was not in itwhich well... dictates how much my body is in itcargo mike was feeling itwhile I on the other hand... was not feeling itor efforts of the day reflect the degree to which each individual is feeling it

winning is not what marks feeling itoperating at your potential and delivering personal best would mark feeling it

the day approached the evening race with a lackluster anticipationneglectful was my approachso neglectful was my approach that I packed my gear the morning before workrather than the night priordid not even glance at the bikesas the bikes had not been ridden since they were prepped for last weeks summer training race at Wakefield which was cancled due to heavy afternoon rain

late preparation and no real focus on the race that afternoonno checking weather dot comno glances at the p v c websiteno concern with proper fueling at lunch or in the late afternoonno purchase of red bull for the raceno late afternoon coffee

I could have used an afternoon coffeeafter slamming out a decent amount of work I stepped out of work a few minutes early to make the six o clock single speed raceon my pedal home I considered not attempting the back to backgot home and pulled both bikes; the geared karate monkey and the single jamis exile were put out on the curb to meet with my fast guy neighbor chris mcgill for a carpool to northern virginia for the third wednesday at wakefield mountain bike raceit is not just about saving fuelit is also about the use of the HOV lane

the anxiety was not therethe anxiety that we hate can fuel us in very postitive waysI had no caffiene I had not anxietyI was slack on my energy levels

chris was on time and just up from an afternoon napwe were on the same level of energychris had a better excusechris rode and raced more miles in the last 7 days than I have ridden in the last monthchris noticed my lack of intensity

I admitted my fear that I lacked the energy for one racemuch less the back to backconsidered focusing on single clydesdale event ranter than pairing up the single speed and the clydesdale eventriding the single with the clydesdalesas wakefield is an excellent course for the single speed

then I realizedif I did not race the single speed race at 6then after the clydesdale race at 6:55 I would not have a choice for a second raceso I opted for the single speed race which allowed for deciding if I had the energy and the spirit for the second three lap mini race

my lack luster approach was visible as I rolled down to the startline without warm upI had signed the waiver just as they closed the registration for the nightwhen I got to the line up I said hey to a few familiar facescargo mike looked calm and ready... ready to defend his current first place seatthe usually suspects held their spotsbutch and rickyd had matching socksscott scudamore called out a two minute warningI rushed to the tall grass to try and peeI had to go... there was no way to hold it for two racesLarry Camp questioned my ability to deal with the two minute pressure to peeI met the challengeI released my bladder then stepped up to the line

there was just enough time to get a cleat in the pedal just before the realease of the single speed class

the fight for the hole shot is competitiveI just looked for a spot to settle infell into a good spot around a few familiar facesbutch lead a cluster from the road into the woodsjohn "the wuss" clayman then rickyd were some of the bodies ahead of meothers were tucked in theresome I can not recallothers whose names I do not know

we entered the single track and i sat back and took in the showjust ahead of me rickyd danced beautifully on each obstacle he approachedthe pace was not as hearty as I would have likedbut it was a nice flowI sat back and watched... wondering if ricky was part kangarooor if ricky had traded his bicycle for a pogo stickrickyd lauched pretty airs off each humprickd did gracefull hops over various obstacles

the first lap went by nicelyI never found a groovethings were not as they should bemy rear tire was riding like a pancakethe pressure was lowa low pressure that I accepted with my quick squeeze as I loaded the carthings were dry and dusty not moist and slickthings were amusingly dusty

the first and second lap went pastI was feeling sluggishnever once checking my watch to see if I would make it to the Startline for clydesdale eventI was at ease with missing the startI was at ease with missing the second race

half way through the third and last lap of the single speed race I collided with the rear tire, a tree, and the ground while trying to make a sloppy passI went down it was not fastbut it was uglyclayman fought not to run me overI got back up on the bike and tried to grab clayman's wheeltrying to stay in the gametrying to finish the lap and the race

things were soremy body did not feel rightmy knee was bleedingmy shoulder was aching

I finished the lap losing a place at the linejokerlost a spot last week at the lineI guess I need to focus on my sprint to the finishbecause I do not care for losing the space

I rolled past the chance for hellos and tried to get my geared bike and some fluidsmy bite valve on my camelback broke spilling water on me and the trail I grabbed a bottle of accelerade and put it in the cagebut water was what I neededdehydration and a mouth full of dust

put the number on the bike and rolled down for race two and the six fifty five start

got to the line and was feeling the heat and the exhaustion of the dayat the line the friendly fellow of clydesdales brought my attention to my kneemy still yet to be cleaned knee that had a silver dollar size piece of skin hanging off itthe blood was not runningthe dirt had aided in the clottingbut the thick piece of skin looking more like muscle and flesh than a thin piece of skin

talk of stitches and steak and cheesse went about the mouths of my competitorsI lined up in the backquestioning my ability to ride another three lapsquestioning my need to ride another three laps

the other classes were releasedwhen we lined up I squeezed in alongside of brian junkinssome back and forth with scudthen our releaseI could not get my right foot into the pedalthe leg was not feeling righton the first mini-climb I pulled over and called it a dayI walked up the hillthen looked at the coursegot back on the bike and decided to ride the courseeven if I could not race the course

into the singletrack and I was catching some of the straggles from the clydesdale classnot the leaders greg or junkinsbut some of the other large men of this classsome of these guys were really bigsome large muscular beastsothers just large beastsI tired to roced the pass when I couldbut clydesdales tend to take up a good part of the trail making passing difficult

I fought for a groove and felt pretty goodnot race day goodbut felt like I could finish a lapso I played it lap for laprode lap one wanting to stopthought about pulling over at various parts of the coursebut figured I could finish the one lapthen crossing the line after one lapI went ahead and tried for two lapstwo laps became three and I was pleased with the fact that I had stayed on the coursemy knee was missing some skinbut the leg was workingthe shoulder was sore... but more than likely not damagedso I worked the course and tried to enjoy thingsit was a lonely ridenot the social fun of racing the single speedthe only people I encounterd were people I was passing then eventually the top four experts who passed me

at the end of the clydesdale event there was a sense of satisfaction I felt fullfilledit was not prettybut I achieve my goal of the back to back

wakefield kicked my assnot many people get to say thatbut somehow it happens to me everytimeevery week has been a hard week at wakefield for me this yearit is not just the back to backit is what happens in each race

in the end it was all goodthe injury may be uglybut not life threateningI managed to finish both the Single Speed and the Clydesdale racesalthough neither race was quite the performance I was looking fordid not have the speeddid not have the flowbut... I showed the spirit to finish what I startedhaving DNFed last week... there was no way I could allow myself to DNF againas I am a mountain biker not some roadie putz

I feel like I got run over by a truckmaybe another glass of wine will put things right

a little more of this tour stuff off the dvra little more winethen off to bed

I may well be the only person who deserves a bumper sticker that readsI Got My Ass Kicked At Wakefield

1 comment:

Joel, the way you talk in the beginning is kinda how I feel about the wakefield races I lack the enthusiasm that is required to well in these races. I will be there for the last race of the series, hope to see you there.

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